Reconnecting in Radiant Garden
by lightkeykid
Summary: A quiet day in Radiant Garden turns into a day of revelations for Leon. It's a lot of information to take in at once.


Life had been quiet recently. No Heartless invasions, no Nobodies running around, and no Keyblades destroying the place. _How dull,_ thought Leon as he monitored the town's defenses. Cid was off-world, probably at Disney Castle visiting Chip and Dale. Merlin, that crazy old wizard, disappeared months ago to go on a "secret mission." Yuffie and Aerith enjoyed the quiet that fell over Radiant Garden. Yuffie, as the youngest of their motley crew, took time for the first time in more than a decade just to explore their world. Growing up under the starry night of Traverse Town, Yuffie thrived in the beautiful sunlight of Radiant Garden. She was little more than a child when they were exiled by Maleficent. Meanwhile, Aerith took care of the townspeople as per usual. No one turned away affectionate Aerith, not even the Castle inhabitants.

The Castle. Leon still was unsure what to make of Ansem the Wise and his reformed apprentices. Ienzo, Aeleus, and Dilan took responsibility for the labyrinth of laboratories in the basement. He gladly signed over that task to Ienzo. There was enough to deal with all those months ago: the aftermath of the Heartless battle, resettlement from off-world residents, and more. Leon did not need to worry about the skeletons in the basement. Then again, what did he have to do now?

A small break was exactly what he needed. He pushed away from the computer station, determined to find out what they were up to at the Castle. He hesitated to bring the Gunblade with him; after all, it was peacetime. No one reported any Heartless or Nobodies on-world since the battle. Still, those at the Castle were former Nobodies and traitors. Ansem the Wise may have forgiven them, but for all Leon knew, there was a long con. Gunblade at his side, he made his way to Town Square.

Leon admired all of the work the Committee had put into restoring their world. Backed by Scrooge McDuck's munny, the town looked better than ever. They reinstalled the Fountain Court and replanted the flowers in the gardens. Aerith spearheaded the project; it was like her child. Leon made sure to order the flowers to her liking. After all these years of taking care of them, he rarely denied the girls anything they wanted. If Aerith wanted pink flowers to decorate Town Square, then she would get them. Leon smiled as the wind blew some of the petals his way. It was oddly windy for such a mild day.

More petals hit his face as he got closer to the square.

_What is going on there?_ Leon thought. Were there any petals left on the flowers at this rate? He broke into a run to investigate when he saw a Gummi ship lift off and fly away. Who landed a Gummi in the middle of the town square? Wait, wasn't that Sora's Gummi ship? Sora! He glanced to the right and saw Aeleus and Dilan staring at the sky.

"Hey!" He called over to the perpetually frowning guards at the Castle Gate. "Was that Sora? Did he need something?" Leon tried to keep the worry out of his voice. Sora, Donald, and Goofy never returned to Radiant Garden after they stopped the Master Control Program. He knew they could take care of themselves, but ever since their first meeting in Traverse Town, Leon considered them part of his family, same as Aerith and Yuffie.

Dilan shook his head. "No, that was Riku. He was escorting Naminé to a gathering of the Guardians."

Leon tried to piece together this information. "Riku? But why-"

"Leon!" A deep voice called from the top of the steps. The three turned to see Ansem the Wise standing there. "Come. There is much to tell you." There was a solemn tone in his voice, and deep down, Leon recognized the coming of bad news.

—

Leon barely recognized the study that Tifa destroyed months ago. All of the diagrams and studies of the heart were gone, yet there was still a spirit of disarray. Researchers must not change that much.

"Why have you brought me here, your Lordship?" Leon asked.

"Hah. I am not deserving of that title after all these years, young man. Nonetheless, I know all about you, Squall Leonhart." Though they returned Radiant Garden to the splendor years past, he never returned to the name of his boyhood. He hid behind Leon all these years, but the man he grew into accepted it as his true identity.

"The King told you?" King Mickey was not one to tell tales usually.

He laughed at the thought. "The King did not need to tell me anything. I found out through Sora."

Leon did not respond nor did he need to. Ansem continued his explanation. "I, along with Naminé and Riku, pieced together Sora's memories. You must remember that time; the time when everyone remembered Sora all at once. That was due to our meddling."

"I know enough of this part of the story. Explain why Riku was in Sora's Gummi ship." He felt uneasy. Ansem the Wise was stalling, and he needed to know why.

"There was a great battle. Seven Guardians of Light versus thirteen Seekers of Darkness. Their battle was used to once again open Kingdom Hearts. During the battle, one of the Guardians fell; Sora took it upon himself to save her heart."

Sora would do that. He had done that for Kairi before… Leon felt his blood flow away from his face. Kairi.

"Kairi fell?" The somber look on the sage king's face confirmed his belief.

"Sora embarked on a journey alone to find Kairi's heart; we had no idea where he or his heart could be. Not until Naminé woke up hours ago. We prepared her replica body in case Kairi's heart made the connection and returned Namine's heart to the vessel. Her awakening is proof that Sora succeeded in his mission." The smile on his face did not reach his eyes.

"But?" Leon asked quietly. All of this information overloaded his heart. Why had he not been there for Sora? After everything he had done for Leon, his family, and the worlds, Sora did not once reach out for him.

"King Mickey informed me, privately, that there were consequences to Sora's bravery. The power of awakening a lost heart is one that drags the lightest heart into the darkest abyss. He fears-" Ansem's voice choked. "He fears that though Sora saved Kairi, we might have lost him to the abyss."

_No_. "No! Sora's too strong for that!" Leon shouted, standing up from his seat.

"I believe that as well, but neither you nor I are Keyblade wielders, let alone a Master like the King. Riku believes that Sora and Kairi will return to Destiny Islands and gathered the Guardians of Light there. Hopefully, the King is wrong." The two men shared a look. King Mickey was rarely wrong about such an important matter.

—

Leon sat on one of the walls in Town Square, waiting for the sun to set, and he tried to process all he learned earlier. While they enjoyed peace here in Radiant Garden, Sora and his friends once again risked their lives for the worlds. He closed his eyes and thought back to his first meeting with Sora. The confusion of seeing such a powerful weapon in the hands of a child segued into a real friendship with the boy.

"Leon, you don't have to sleep in the middle of town anymore! You have a house now," Yuffie teased him out of his reverie. He opened his eyes to find Yuffie and Aerith carrying a picnic basket.

"Did you forget we had plans?" Aerith asked gently. When he didn't answer, she frowned. "Are you okay Squall?" She placed a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye.

Should he burden them with the pain? He pondered for a second when a sharp pain stabbed his heart. Yuffie gasped and clutched her chest. Aerith followed suit.

"What's happening?" Yuffie panted. "This hurt…"

"A light has faded from the plane," Aerith gasped. "Why does it hurt so much?"

Leon had to explain it to them, but all he could say was, "Sora…" Tears welled in his eyes. He remembered the last time he cried; it was the day Cid loaded the three youths onto the Gummi ship for Traverse Town. Leon lost his home that day, but today he lost his friend.


End file.
